Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Day 283

Merry (belated) Christmas!! We had a terrific one here with lots of family time, friends, presents and relaxation :) I did miss my family but it was nice to not travel! I have lots of pic's which can be viewed here. This week is the girls' last week home from school so we have lots of playdates scheduled, Maddie's first sleepover tonight (Ella is coming to our house), and some regular errands. 2011 is upon us and it's giving me a lot to reflect on....More on that soon!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Day 278


*Finished Knitting this today :) Find the pattern here!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Day 277

Favorite.Picture.of.All.Time

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Day 274




*Top to Bottom: Writing in Bed, Relaxing & Glasses (It should be noted that I took these pic's as I was putting the girls to bed tonight and their room was completely dark! Grace loves her "glassies" and has been wearing them only for bedtime for the past few nights :)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Day 271

Snow & Cookies Day :)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Day 270


*Clockwise from Top Left: Maddie wrote her first word on her own when she came home from school yesterday and showed it to me. It says "Mom." I could have cried I was so proud! Ornament from Mad's. Ornament from Gracie girl. Maddie laughing as we work hard to package our fudge that we've been giving as gifts. The Girls in their winter coats! They've needed them everyday...looks like snow for tomorrow :-)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Day....Who Knows?..

I've been exhausted lately....physically & mentally. Just sort of drained. Maybe it's the season, maybe it's therapy, or maybe it's the fact that I'm getting older. Seriously. Every time I see myself in a mirror I feel a little alarmed at the fact that I have definitely aged. (This isn't being said to have all of you comment how great I look either.) Honestly, for the first time in my life I'm looking into tired eyes (with the dark circles to prove it), fine lines and gray hair. It all seems so vain but at the same time, it's bugging me. Gone are the easy beautiful days of youth. I know it didn't happen overnight but part of me feels like it did. I want to embrace this getting older; but I'm not sure how. I know in the grand scheme of things, this is not a "problem" but it's something I was thinking that all women have to come to terms with at some point; The idea that I'm not the youngest/cutest/skinniest/whatever-ist in any given room and being okay with that. Not only being okay with it, but really embracing it. Clearly I'm a work in progress :)

Friday, December 3, 2010

Day 258

We've been back from California for a few days and I'm finally able to upload the pictures. I'm back to blogging after a short hiatus. Our visit home was great. There's so much love, family and friends on the west coast for us and it was awesome to feel some real gratitude for all that we have. Enjoy the pic's below!
Thanksgiving California 2010

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Day 239

* This is just off the needles! It's a Cowl which will keep my neck warm but without the long parts a scarf has that can get in the way :) So excited to use it in the morning! Also, my camera didn't do it justice but it's a bamboo yarn and it's a really beautiful green color. Love it!
**Pattern available here

Friday, November 12, 2010

Day 237

*Did you know that I have a black eye and a swollen face?... What a week I'm having :( I had to have my nose cauterized this week because of several nosebleeds. Let's just say it involved 3 injections of Novocaine in my face and a tool that felt like it was meant for torture! I'm healing but I look like I was in a bar room brawl!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Day 234

*There are no words...

Monday, November 8, 2010

Day 233

It's been a while since I could blog. We've had a very tough last few days and so today while the kids are at school and Gabe is at work, I feel like I have a moment of peace. Maddie is finally well (we've been sick for almost 2 weeks with everything from a cold, to a fever that wouldn't quit, to a throwing-up-stomach-bug). I'm so thankful that today she is able to be back at school with her friends and that I'm able to grocery shop, do laundry and head to the dentist all on my own!

Most of you know that the last couple of days have brought some real grief to our little world. On Friday morning we were alerted to the news that an employee and dear friend from Dog School had committed suicide. He was only 24 years old. It hit everyone very hard, especially Gabe and the best thing I can say about Friday is that we survived it; somewhat sane and very sober. Saturday was full of moodiness, anger, sadness, and confusion....all the while trying to entertain and make happy 2 little girls. It was tough, to say the least. Sunday was busy and I believe that's what we needed. Honestly I couldn't sit in this house just the four of us for one more minute or I might have screamed. We made it to the Northern VA AA Gratitude Breakfast (which we attend every year) and heard the best speaker I've ever heard. It was such a God thing. The things this man said really resonated with me and I left feeling a little lighter of spirit. The afternoon was spent at a birthday party for one of Maddie's friends followed by a family drive to Maryland for dinner with our close friends. Being with friends, who are sober and were totally there for us on Friday, was the best part of my day. They were there to listen, eat with and laugh with and it was just what we needed.

So, today starts a new week and new hope. I've meal planned and shopped. The laundry is going and I'm out the door to the dentist. Hopefully just the routine and normalcy of life can be a sort of comfort for us.

The last thing I have to say is that the tragedy of Friday reminded me of how many people love us. I reached out to many in my program of recovery as well as family and the best thing they all offered to me was love. To me, it was an expression of how God loves us; without reservation. If you're one of those people, thank you from deep deep down in my heart.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Day 227

Just wanted to say that I'm really thankful this is a country where voting is a choice!!!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Day 225 / Happy Halloween!

*Trick-Or-Treating with Ella, Maddie & Gracie :)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Day 222

Halloween Parade from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.



*Pay attention and see Grace sitting on the curb watching the parade :) She's in the purple witches shirt!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Day 217

"3 Little Monkey's..." from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.




*It's been a video kind of week! Hope you enjoy ;-)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Day 216


*Friday Morning 8:13am

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Day 211



*2nd Pumpkin patch of the weekend! We visit this one every year; it's a Mejias October Tradition :)

Friday, October 15, 2010

Day 209


*Burke Nursery & Pumpkin Patch today :)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Day 207


*Dinner out-(side...that is :)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Day 205

Just wanted to post a link to view the pictures from yesterday's festivities and below that is the movie from yesterday :)

Enjoy!!!

Maddie's 4th Birthday


Maddie's 4th Birthday Party from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Day204/ Happy 4th Birthday Maddie


Dearest Madeline Elisabeth,

Today you turned 4 years old and we celebrated you with friends, ponies, cake, face painting, pizza, soccer, and a pinata. It was a blast! Watching you run, laugh and play with your friends made my heart so happy.

When you were born 4 years ago, my life changed. I had anticipated being a mom for so long and there you were. Beautiful! Daddy, Nonnie & I were all there and we had tears of joy when we first saw you. It was amazing.

Now you are a big girl. You want to do everything yourself. You have become such an awesome helper to me and to Gracie. Usually if I ask you for help, you jump to it. You even like to make your bed! It makes you so proud that you run in and ask me to "come see" everytime. Today you got a new Barbie Bicycle and you are already so good at riding it. I hope it's a memory that lasts for a long time.

Mostly, I want you know how loved you are. I think you know this because you are so loving to others. You always want to kiss and hug the people you care about. Even your teachers tell me how sweet you are. I'm so grateful for who you've been, who you are and who you're going to be...It's an awesome journey and I know that God made you just for me.

Love always,
Mommy

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Day 203

Okay, so it's safe to say that blogging every day is pretty difficult! Even taking 1 picture to share every day has proven hard. But, with this weekends birthday festivities, I'm sure the pictures will abound :) That being said, today I wanted to write-blog to share a feeling I encountered recently...

I had an experience recently where I was with other people, that I know well, but felt totally out of place. I felt like my part in the conversation was forced, that I was trying to be who I think they think I am, and that frankly, it was exhausting. There was the usual chatter about husbands, kids & recipes but I felt like it didn't ring true. Meaning, it's easy to talk about all that other stuff and not talk about how one is feeling about all that stuff. I guess I've sort of moved into a space where I just want to be real with people and I really, really want them to be real with me. I want to know that life can be hard for them, that there kids drive them nuts & that their husbands can be real pains in the butts...it would make me feel more "normal."

On the flip side, I have a dear friend with whom I had a very real conversation recently and it made me love her even more. She shared her heart with me; she talked of the tough parts of marriage and it made me feel compassion for her. It made me feel something and because of that, I felt connected. I think that's what this all boils down to; everyone wants to feel connected and that whatever they are going through has been gone through before. Everyone wants to be heard and I know for myself, I want to listen.

I'm learning (slowly) that my time is precious; that I want to spend it with people who really know me, get me and love me right where I am. It's not to say that the first group of people mentioned don't know me, it's just a different version of me-the one where I seem all put together (which I can be) but not all of the time. People who know the real you, have seen you cry, they know things the rest of the world may not know just by looking at you, & they love you anyway.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Day 199




*Top to Bottom: Gianna's Hat (finished today), Reading with Tucker Parts 1 & 2...

Monday, October 4, 2010

Day 198

*Raincoats :-)

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day 193


*After School, 1:15pm

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 187



*Good Morning Game....Girls came up with this themselves :) Remind anyone of the movie "Parenthood?"...

Monday, September 20, 2010

Day 184

I'm not feeling well but have lots of pic's to upload from Elisabeth & Justin's visit. This week is my first week without my kids for the next 3 mornings (they'll be at school :) and then I'm leaving for the weekend. So, I need to get to feeling better!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Day 181

*Sisters :)
Lunch in Washington D.C. yesterday at Sonoma

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Day 178

*Grace's 1st day of school :)

Monday, September 13, 2010

Mom2MaddieandGracie: Day 177

Mom2MaddieandGracie: Day 177

Day 177

First Day of School :-)
She was SOOOOOO happy to be there!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Friday, September 10, 2010

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Day 173

*Grace's 2nd Birthday Dinner Celebration :)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Day 172



Dearest Grace,

Today you turn 2 years old and I couldn't be happier. When I think of you, the first thing that comes to mind is your smile. It's huge! It's been that way since you were born. I remember saying many times that your "smile is like half of your face!" Hence, the nickname "Grace Face" was born ;) We've been calling you that since you were only a few weeks old and for a long time your big sister thought that was actually your name!

I love to watch you play and think. You love to discover how things work; which means you are into everything. I am always busy when it comes to you! You also talk all the time. You always have something to say, and most times you repeat yourself over and over and over until someone responds.

You love your big sister Maddie and at night when you are both in bed, Daddy and I sometimes listen to you guys talk. Often, you are talking and Maddie is telling you to "go to sleep Grace." It's one of my favorite things.

You should know that you are such a blessing to me. I always knew that I wanted daughters and God couldn't have created a more perfect "baby" for our family. You have added a light to our world's that we didn't even know we needed, but now know that we couldn't live without it.
Happy 2nd Birthday Gracie Girl.

Love always,
Mommy

Monday, September 6, 2010

Day 170

Here's the video from all the birthday antics yesterday! The girls have sat here and watched it all the way through at least 3 times ;)

Grace's 2nd Birthday Party from Sarah Mejias on Vimeo.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Day 169

We celebrated Grace's 2nd Birthday today with almost 40 people at Chuck E. Cheese!!! It was a blast and she felt very loved :) You can view the pictures below. Enjoy!
Grace's 2nd Birthday Party

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Day 168


Birthday Girl...Her party is in the morning :)
T minus 14 hours until Chuck E. Cheese!!!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Day 166


*Best.Family.Portrait.Ever :)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Day 165


Maddie woke up and started her day by reading a piece of mail she had received. There is nothing more precious that how excited she was by this card. It was from her Nonnie and all of her reactions in these pic's are her own. I told her that since the card was so important to her, she should put it in a safe place(ie: out of little sister's reach). She chose to keep it in her favorite place of all...her bed :) Thanks for writing her back Mom!!!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Day 162

*Sunday, 6:29pm

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Day 161


Today I chose to sponsor a child in Africa. There were some AMAZING testimonials this weekend at Women of Faith and I felt moved to do so. I have a picture of our little girl, but in the interest of the internet I didn't want to publish it. I'm so excited about learning about her & her family while teaching my girls about caring for others. I'm so grateful for this Saturday night. I have my family together, a full tummy and a roof over my head. I need absolutely nothing else...

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Day 159 & 160


Collage #1: Early Friday Morning Pictures; "Mommy & Us & Tucker "

Collage #2: Deep Creek Lake, MD: August 21-24, 2010

I'm posting 2 different things today because I'm getting ready to leave for a couple of days. I'll be coming home at night (not until really late tonight) and figured that I probably won't feel like blogging! So, enjoy the pictures and if I feel up to it, there may be a post later to let you all know how Women of Faith is :)

Day 158

This post has been a long time coming. We had a GREAT trip with friends to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Even though it rained (A LOT) we found other ways to occupy ourselves and the kiddos. We read, played, colored, ate, went on a boat, swam, hot tubbed, ate, cooked, talked, laughed (A LOT), and did I mention we ate?!? :) It was SO much fun and hopefully will become a yearly thing for all of us.

Although I will say that coming home has had it's hardships. For example, I hate to unpack! It's the worst. I'm such a procrastinator when it comes to getting stuff out of the suitcases and back into the dressers. Also, Grace had a fever a few of the days we were gone but she mostly just slept it off. Now, Maddie has it and she's miserable. Today is definitely better than yesterday but her fever has gone up to 101.8 and that just makes me cringe :( Last night she was saying she was hot and cold at the same time and that really confused her. We may just lay low again today and get her well.

Gabe will be on Kid Duty for the next 2 days while I attend Women of Faith in DC. I went last year and enjoyed it. It's sort of like a mini-spiritual retreat without going out of town. So, I'll be taking a break and Gabe will be holding down the fort.

Here's the pic's I took yesterday of us around the house. Maddie was being a "superhero" which was a first and it was really cute ;) Pic's from vacation will be up soon!


Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Day 156

We have been on vacation at Deep Creek Lake, MD for the past 4 days and it has been wonderful. Lots of fun with friends, our children and eachother. I have taken pic's and will post once we get home. We are leaving tonight to head back home. One funny story is that this morning, Gabe had a tee-time and was up and out early. Maddie woke up, came to find me and questioned "Where's Daddy?" I told her he was out playing golf and her response was "In the middle of the night?!?" :)
So cute! I reminded her that it's morning and then it made more sense to her. Love the way that little mind works :)

Friday, August 20, 2010

Day 152

Today was overwhelming in general. I learned today that it's nearly impossible to pack for a family vacation while 2 kids under 4 are hanging out... I could finish no single task. So, I gave up until nap time, then apologized for being "bad mommy" all morning. I resumed (and finished) the packing this evening and now I'm exhausted...but instead of going to bed, I want to watch tv and really do nothing.

*Sorry there aren't any pic's today as they would have been of my total and complete frustration and no one wants to see that! Tomorrow has got to be better.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Day 151


*First Time Drinking Hot Chocolate & First Blue Bow :-)

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Day 150



*Rainy Day Girls :-)